The number of golf clubs used in the game of golf is limited to 14 clubs and typically includes four wood clubs or "Woods"., nine iron clubs or "Irons" and one putter. The use of head covers for the protection of golf clubs when carried in a bag is well known, particularly when used in connection with the woods for protecting the clubs not only from rain and other inclement weather conditions, but also from damage due to the clubs being jostled against one another when being carried, as well as during their removal and replacement during the playing of a round of golf. The use of head covers has not been exclusively restricted to the woods since head covers have also been made which are adapted for use with "Irons" as well as putters.
Head covers are normally manufactured and sold as a numbered set, being numbered such as 1, 3, 5,--by the size and shape of the clubs to be covered. Thus, when a specific numbered head cover is lost or otherwise missing, a new set of head covers must be acquired, or otherwise matched to another set or a fixed set of various types of head covers must be resorted to. This is not only undesirable, but can result in considerable expense where the golfer desires a set of head covers of the same styling and construction.
While most head covers perform their functions satisfactorily, they do not protect the shaft and grip of the golf club from damage caused by jostling or friction.
Several patents have been issued on covers for golf club heads. U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,768 to E. Cunko shows a golf club cover attached to an upright rigid panel. The lower end of the panel has slots therethrough for reception of a belt that encircles the upper mouth of a golf bag. The cover is thus supported in an upright position above the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,749 shows a golf club cover having a zipper extending along a substantial portion of the cover length, such that when the zipper is unzipped, the zippered edges spread apart to permit relatively easy removal of the cover from the club head. The cover is a close form-fit on the club head.
Damaske U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,803 shows a form-fitting club head cover having a zipper fastener extending along the hitting face of the club head and a portion of the club shaft. The principal feature of the patent appears to be a pocket structure for containment of a weight member.
The various patents do not appear to show mechanisms for protecting both the heads and shafts of golf clubs.